Chafee Education and Training Vouchers Program (ETV) (93.599)

 

Program

93.599 Chafee Education and Training Vouchers Program (ETV)

 

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Administration For Children And Families

 

Authorization

Social Security Act, Title IV-E, Section 477; as amended.

 

Program Number

93.599

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To provide resources to States and eligible Indian Tribes to make available vouchers for post-secondary training and education, to youths who have aged out of foster care or who have been adopted or left for kinship guardianship from the public foster care system after age 16.

 

Types of Assistance

FORMULA GRANTS

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds may be used to provide vouchers for post-secondary education and training to youth otherwise eligible for services under the State's Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. Vouchers may also be provided to youth who leave foster care for adoption or kinship guardianship after age 16 and to youth up to the age of 23, as long as they are participating in the program at age 21 and are making satisfactory progress toward completing their course of study or training. Vouchers provided to individuals may be available for the cost of attending an institution of higher education (as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education Act) and shall not exceed the lesser of $5,000 per grant year or the total cost of attendance as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education Act.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

State governments, including the 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and eligible Indian Tribes.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Youth otherwise eligible for services under a State's Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. (This includes youth who have left foster care because they attained 18 years of age, and have not yet attained 21 years of age; youth likely to remain in foster care until 18 years of age, commensurate with the State criteria used to determine eligibility for the program; and former foster care recipients, age 21 and younger.) Vouchers may also be provided to youth who are adopted from foster care or exit foster care to kinship guardianship after attaining age 16 and to youth up to the age of 23, as long as they are participating in the voucher program at age 21 and are making satisfactory progress toward completing their course of study or training.

Credentials/Documentation

Costs will be determined in accordance with 45 CFR Part 92. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Applications must include the information and assurances required from the States. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. A 5-year State plan must be submitted with annual updates. The plan must coordinate the provision of services under the State's Chafee Foster Care Independence Program with services under other Federal or federally-asssted programs serving the same population. Plans are submitted to the appropriate Regional Child Welfare Program Manager in the appropriate ACF Regional Office.

Award Procedure

Quarterly awards are made up to the amount of one-fourth of the State's annual allotment.

Deadlines

Jun 30, 2009 June 30 of each year.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Not Applicable.

Appeals

Appeals are processed in accordance with HHS regulations in 45 CFR, Part 16.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory Formula:

Matching Requirements: Percent: 20.%. Each State is allotted an amount of funds which bears the same ratio as the number of children in foster care in that State bears to the total number of children in foster care in all States in the most recent fiscal year for which such information is available. Data submitted by States into the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) national database will be used to calculate State allotments. The Federal government will pay 80% of the total amount of funds expended by the States (less any penalties) up to the amount of funds allotted to the State for the Educational and Training Vouchers program. The State must provide matching contributions to cover the additional 20% of the costs.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grant awards are made quarterly on a fiscal year basis. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: quarterly.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Annual updates to the State's plan. PSC-272. Progress reports are not applicable. Submitted to Administration for Children and Familes, Office of Administration. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Audits are conducted in accordance with the requirements in 45 CFR 74 and 92.

Records

States are required to maintain supporting documentation of activities and adequate fiscal records.

 

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: There were 52 grants awarded. Fiscal Year 2009: Estimate 52 grants will be awarded. Fiscal Year 2010: Estimate 52 grants will be awarded.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1536-0-1-506.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $45,324,389; FY 09 est $45,351,000; FY 10 est $45,351,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY 08: $93,908 to $6,909,043 with an average of $859,046.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Not Applicable.

 

Related Programs

93.550 Transitional Living for Homeless Youth; 93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families; 93.645 Child Welfare Services_State Grants; 93.658 Foster Care_Title IV-E; 93.674 Chafee Foster Care Independence Program

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Contact Regional Administrator for Children and Families.

Headquarters Office

Catherine Heath 1250 Maryland Ave, SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20024 Phone: 202-690-7888

Web Site Address

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb

 

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.